nanoliter

A nanoliter (nL) is a unit of volume in the metric system equal to one billionth of a liter (10^-9 L). It is derived from the liter using the nano- prefix, and is commonly used for very small liquid volumes. One nanoliter is equal to 0.001 microliters (μL), or 1×10^-6 milliliters (mL). Conversely, 1 liter contains 1,000,000,000 nanoliters, and 1,000 nanoliters equal 1 microliter.

Nanoliters are widely used in chemistry, biology, and especially microfluidics, where tiny reaction volumes reduce reagent consumption and enable high-throughput processing. They appear in contexts such as DNA library preparation, enzyme assays, and droplet-based or digital microfluidic systems. In laboratory automation, specialized nanoliter pipettes and microfluidic devices are employed to dispense and manipulate these volumes with precision.

Handling nanoliters presents challenges. The small volume is highly susceptible to evaporation, surface adsorption, and capillary effects, so materials and surfaces with low binding, careful temperature and humidity control, and optimized workflow are important. Proper calibration and error analysis are also critical, as small deviations constitute a large percentage of the total volume.

Related units include the microliter (μL) and picoliter (pL); 1 μL equals 1,000 nL, and 1 nL equals 1,000 pL. The nanoliter remains a practical unit for expressing very small liquids in scientific research and industrial applications.